Fasteners



C. A. SECKERSON FASTENERS Filed Oct. 25, 1963 [nmz/Zrr CL IFFOKD fizzy NDER Sec/(seam y zfwzby A HUT/16 United States Patent 3,213,926 FASTENERS Clitford Alexander Seckerson, Iver Heath, England, as-

signor to United-Carr Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 319,064 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 31), 1962, 41,041/ 62 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-402) The present invention relates to an improved fastener which is particularly although not exclusively suitable for attaching curtaining material to curtain wire or curtain hooks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a quick and easy method of attaching material such as curtaining to a wire or rail.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fastener for attaching material to a wire or rail which is quickly and easily removable from the material without damaging the material.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a means for slidably attaching curtaining material to a curtain rail which eliminates the necessity for sewing a rufllette tape to the curtain material.

Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a front elevation, side elevation and rear elevation of a fastener according to the invention,

FIGURES 4 and 5 are respectively a side elevation, partly in section, and a rear elevation showing curtaining material attached to a curtain wire with the aid of two of the fasteners of FIGURES 1 to 3,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a modification of the fastener of FIGURES 1 to 3, and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of a modification of the fastener of FIGURE 6.

In FIGURES l to 3 a fastener is indicated generally at 10 which is preferably formed from a material such as strip steel and rendered resilient and rustproof in any convenient manner after being manufactured to the shape shown.

The fastener 10 is generally of U-shape having a web 11 and two limbs 12 and 13 extending therefrom.

The limb 12, which is longer than the limb 13 before being bent to the shape shown, has its free end bowed away from the limb 13 to constitute a C-shaped loop 14. The loop 14 constitutes a major segment of a circle and the extremity of the limb 12 constitutes a finger 15 which is bent taangentially of the loop 14 so as to be directed inwardly towards the limb 13 and rearwardly towards the web 11.

The side edges of the loop 14 are flared outwardly, to form flanges 16 and 17, and the end edge of the finger 15 is sheared so as to leave a forwardly directed claw 18 and 19 respectively at each corner thereof.

The limb 13 is formed intermediate its length with two prongs 20 and 21 which are sheared and bent from the limb so as to be directed inwardly and rearwardly towards the web 11. The free end of the limb 13 is of reduced width and directed forwardly and away from the limb 12 to constitute a lug 22.

The prongs 20 and 21 in the limb 13 may be sheared either from within the body of the limb as shown in the drawings, or they may be sheared from the side edges of the limb if this is found to be convenient or advantageous.

As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 a plurality of the fasteners 10 are attached at spaced intervals along the edge of a curtain 23. The curtain 23 is conveniently hemmed, as at 24 to provide double thickness of material on which ice to attach the fasteners 10 each of which is pressed onto the hem 24 so that the material passes up between the finger 15 and lug 22 of the limbs 12 and 13 respectively.

Each fastener will pass over the material until the edge of the hem butts against the web 11. The prongs and claws in the limb 12 and loop 14 respectively are rearwardly directed thus allowing the fastener to slide on to the hem 24 but preventing it from being withdrawn by digging into the material.

When the fasteners 10 have been attached at spaced intervals along the curtain a plastic covered curtain wire 25 is threaded through the loop 14 of each fastener 10.

The outwardly flared flanges 16 and 17 and the dimensions of the loop 14 of each fastener ensures that the wire 25 passes easily through the loops and that the plastic sheath 26 is not damaged when the wire 25 is carrying the full weight of the curtain 23.

In order to remove the fastener 10 from the curtain, for instance prior to washing, a knife or similar article is inserted between the limb 13 and the material so as to mask the prongs 20 and 21, the loop 14 is pulled away from the curtain so as to withdraw the claws 18 and 19 from the material and the fastener is then drawn off the curtain.

Instead of using the wire 25 to carry the curtain 23 a curtain hook may be attached to each fastener 10, for instance when it is desired to attach the curtain to curtain runners.

A modification of the fastener 10 is indicated generally at 30 in FIGURE 6.

The fastener 30 is similar to the fastener 10 in that it is generally of U-shape having a web 31 and two limbs 32 and 33.

The limb 32 is formed with two inwardly and rearwardly directed prongs one of which is shown at 34 and its free end is directed away from the limb 30 and constitutes a lug 35.

The limb 33 is extended and the extension is reversely bent to constitute a loop 36 having its open mouth 37 adjacent the limb 33 and intermediate the length thereof.

The side edges of the loop 36 are flared outwardly to form flanges, one of which is indicated at 38 and two claws, one of which is shown at 39, are sheared and bent from the limb 33 so as to be directed rearwardly towards the web 31 and inwardly towards the limb 32.

A modification of the fastener 30 is indicated generally at 40 in FIGURE 7. The fastener 40 is similar to the fastener 30 except that the free end of the loop 41 is outwardly directed so as to constitute a finger tag 42.

Both the fastener 30 and the fastener 40 are intended for use in the same manner as the fastener 10 as described with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5.

It will be seen that the use of the fasteners described herein which are easy to attach to the edge of a piece of material, entirely eliminate the necessity for sewing a rufilette tape to the curtain when it is to be hung by curtain hooks and provide a simple and easy method of attaching a curtain to a curtain wire.

What I claim is:

1. A fastening device for attaching a fabric to a support comprising a U-shaped portion having a web and two limbs, said limbs being in generally spaced parallel relationship, a C-shaped loop formed as a continuation of one of said limbs, said loop having a free end in spaced contiguous relationship with one of said limbs, a prong extending inwardly from one of said limbs and extending toward said web, and a claw formed as a tangent to one end of said loop extending inwardly toward the limb from which said prong extends.

2. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said claw and said prong are in spaced overlapping relationship as viewed from the end of said device opposite said web.

3. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein said C-shaped loop has a funnel-like flange at each side thereof. 1

4. A fastening device according to claim 3 wherein said claw is equal in width to the distance between said flanges.

5. A fastening device according to claim 1 wherein the free end of said loop is bent away from said limbs to provide a springlike tab.

6. An installation comprising in combination a fabric suspended from a support by a fastener, said fastener including a U-shaped portion having a web and two limbs, a C-shaped loop formed as a continuation of one of said limbs, said loop having a free end in spaced contiguous relationship with one of said limbs, a prong extending inwardly from one of said limbs, and a claw formed as a tangent to one end of said loop, said prong and said claw being in spaced overlapping relationship as viewed from the end of said fastener opposite said web, said loop being hooked to said support and said fabric being sandwiched between said limbs and pierced by said prong and said claw at points adjacent said support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 413,401 10/89 Sanders.

901,179 10/08 Kunkel 24257 1,714,885 5/29 Moss. 2,109,213 2/38 Fearing Z4--73.7 2,278,691 4/42 Cotter 24-73.7 2,489,389 11/49 Skyum 160390 2,565,636 8/51 Tinnerman.

2,607,977 8/52 Serrell 1687.2 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 21,401 1911 Great Britain.

0 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FASTENING DEVICE FOR ATTACHING A FABRIC TO A SUPPORT COMRPISING A U-SHAPED PORTION HAVING A WEB AND TWO LIMBS, SAID LIMBS BEING IN GENERALLY SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, A C-SHAPED LOOP FORMED AS A CONTINUATION OF ONE OF SAID LIMPS, SAID LOOP HAVING A FREE END IN SPACED CONTIGUOUS RELATION WITH ONE OF SAID LIMBS, A PRONG EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID LIMBS AND EXTENDING TOWARD SAID WEB, AND A CLAW FORMED AS A TANGENT TO ONE END OF SAID LOOP EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD THE LIMB FROM WHICH SAID PRONG EXTENDS. 